Renowned as one of the leading jiu-jitsu exponents in the sport today, Maia’s sheer reputation has often overwhelmed recent opponents. That’s even before he secures the takedown, transitions to full mount and then sinks in a picture-perfect choke. Some fans pinpoint Maia as the man to dethrone middleweight champion Anderson Silva, while others merely sit in awe at his seamless displays of jiu-jitsu inside the Octagon.

Marquardt, nodding knowingly with a smile, is simply happy to fight him.